The Roaring Twenties 1920- 1929
Which decade is known for these things and the music?
War
Art
Feminism
Change
Things that marked this decade
Entertainment
Bankruptcy
Craziness
Prehistorical events
What happened before the 1920's ?
First World War
- 1914 -1918
- about 20 millions had died
- ended in victory, peace and prosperity had returned
USA entered in 1917
Great Influenza (Spanish Flu)
Great Influenza
1918- 1920
- 17 million to 50 million died
- one of the deadliest pandemics in human history
Why is it called "Roaring Twenties"
World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted
- suffering and sadness have been replaced by euphoria of living
- time of extreme and often excessive celebration and advancement
- term "roaring" speaks to the loud, exciting and exuberant events of the era
Why is it called "Roaring Twenties" ?
changes
prohibition
(forbidden to manufacture, transport and sell alcohol)
society
The positive impact until the turning point:
- Economic growth
- Development of a consumer society
- Increased employment
- Greater independence and opportunities for middle class women
- Development of popular entertainment
- Social change
economic growth and the upcoming consumer society growthInnovations
- majority of people lived in urban areas
- drank, danced and partied; consumed ->“consumer society”
- "melting pot"
- freedoms were expanded while others were curtailed
- marked by social tension & inequalities
- conservative sections: uncomfortable with new, urban, sometimes racy “mass culture"
- main reasons for economical growth:
- technological progress -> mass production of goods
- the electrification of USA -> crucial in the economic boom
- new mass marketing techniques
- catalog shopping; big advertising industry
- availability of cheap credit
- increased employment -> more consumers
- Introduced on 16 January 1918 (Eighteenth Amendment)
- aim: to stop the trade in alcohol
- reasons:
- Pressure from temperance groups and religious groups
- Attitude of industrialists
- Patriotism
- Anti-immigrant feelings
- The impact of Prohibition:
- unpopular and widely ignored
- illegal drinking places -> speakeasies
- increase in violence and organized crime
- reduced respect for the law because of f.ex. corruption
- Alcohol-related deaths increased
- split the Society ->“dries” and “wets”
- ended in 1933 (21st Amendment)
Changes
Women in the 1920
social conflicts
- able to live independently, gained some unprecedented freedoms
- changed sexual habits, acceptable to drive cars and take part in energetic sports, etc.
- right to vote
- worked in a wider range of jobs
- upcoming term "flapper"
- immigration, urban growth, and social tensions
- Organized crime boomed
- many poor and disadvantaged people were left behind
- agriculture sector was facing a severe downturn
- changes -> anxiety and insecurities
- Ku Klux Klan massive boost in membership levels
- divide between rich and poor; wets and dries; conservatives and forward-thinking people
New entertainment
- people wanted to try out new things to escape from the memories of World War One
- Cinema and Hollywood: attraction of the time
- revolutionary works of art
- Art Deco movement
- new genres of literature
- new music and dance styles
new music and dance styles
- Jazz and other new genres
- also called "The Jazz Age"
new dance and music styles
- Charleston, Lindy Hop, Swing, etc.
The Wall Street Crash 1929
World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted
Turning Point
- On Black Tuesday, 29 October
- 16 million shares were sold on the Stock Market in Wall Street
- US economy collapsed completely
Impact
- Great depression
- Big businesses and banking collapsed
- Loss of confidence in businesses
- Massive unemployment
- Homelessness
- Low wages and long hours for the employed
- Distress for farmers
- financial crisis
Sources:
Sources
- https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/galleries/spanish-flu-1919
- https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-1920s-in-Britain/
- https://stacker.com/stories/3972/what-life-was-roaring-twenties
- https://www.reference.com/history/called-roaring-twenties-caddb37af91333ed
- https://ushistoryrights.weebly.com/roaring-twenties.html
- https://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/roaring-twenties-history#section_6
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zcbtk2p/revision/1
- https://ap.gilderlehrman.org/essays/roaring-twenties
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6jTMacxzkI
- https://musicrising.tulane.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/383/2018/10/traditional-jazz.jpg
- https://roaringtwentieshistoryproject.weebly.com/gangsters-and-prohibition.html
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxhpb82/revision/1
- https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ushistory/chapter/the-roaring-twenties/#:~:text=The%20Roaring%20Twenties%201%20The%20Roaring%20Twenties.%20The,after%20Suffrage.%20...%205%20The%20Lost%20Generation.%20